The invention relates to an air outlet device comprising an air outlet channel which has an open front and is located near an actuating part for the operation of a closing flap. Behind the actuating part an acceptance chamber for the plugging base of a lamp is located which conducts light to the actuating part.
Such an air outlet device is used in motor vehicles. Its purpose is to provide the interior space of the vehicle with air. It is desired to illuminate the actuating part, which is usually a knurled wheel, so that the position of the actuating part of the closure flap can be easily recognized. The actuating part itself cannot be demounted from the front of the air outlet device.
DE-OS No. 33 17 807, which corresponds to U.S. Pat. No. 4 734 918, relates to a luminous band display device, an actuating part of which is illuminated from behind. If the lamp, which is located in a plug base, is defective, it can be replaced only from the back of the assembly. In practice this is very troublesome, so that often defective lamps are not replaced.
In DE-OS No. 35 35 881 an illumination device for a front panel is shown. With this model the lamp is located behind a removable cap on the front panel. After the cap has been removed the lamp can be changed from the front side. With an air outlet device of the type described above such a construction is not possible because the actuating part cannot be removed from the front side and because there is no additional space for the installation of a removable cap.